Realm of Possibilities
by Speklez
Summary: What happens when we die? Do our souls leave our bodies to repent in Hell or relax in Heaven? Or, are we perhaps reborn in a different plane of existence? If there more than one plane, do they run parallel with the one we know? If they do, and we somehow cross the border, are the people the same as the ones we know or are they far different; opposite, dangerous... deadly?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Aro walked alongside Marcus, neither one saying a word as they strolled the halls after feeding. Within the palace, they were perfectly content in the knowledge that nothing out of the ordinary would happen so neither one of them were overly focused on their surroundings. That is, until fifty feet up the hall from them part of the wall was pushed open.

They paused, confused at first since neither one knew there was a passageway there. The two stared in shock when a female crawled out and turned, slamming the panel shut and leaning back against it as she panted for breath. Their shock, however, wasn't just the appearance.

Marcus tilted his head to the side, lip curling in the corner before he lowered his voice and spoke to Aro. "Do you see what I see?"

Aro opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off from doing so when there was a hard bang against the panel, making the girl against it scream and scramble back from it, the name of their tracker bouncing off the walls at a pitch that hurt their ears.

The two kings slid back into the shadows as the female tripped all over herself to get to her feet before darting down the hall in the direction of the Elite wing of the palace. They waited a moment to see what, if anything, would follow the girl out and were not disappointed when the panel was once again opened revealing two grown men.

Both Aro and Marcus stayed still and silent, watching as the two men got to their feet and began looking around themselves. After a moment, the shorter of the two looked at his partner. "Which way did she go?"

The other man, looking at an electrical device, pointed in the direction the girl ran. "That way; it's the most direct route to the little bastard's room."

The first one that spoke nodded, speaking again as he turned that direction. "Then let's go. We have to get to her before she gets to him."

The second man tucked the device away and then pulled out a gun, cocking it to load the chamber. He then looked at his comrade. "I don't rightly give a fuck if she does or not. If the prince gets in the way, I'll put a bullet in his head."

With that, the second man took off down the hall leaving the first one to stare after him and shake his head before he too started running. "Yeah, 'cause killing the prince a stellar idea."

Aro and Marcus stepped out of the shadows once the two men were around the corner and just stood there for a moment before Marcus turned to Aro. "Are you as confused as I?"

Aro's lip was curled in the corner when he glanced at Marcus. "About what? A vampire we know to have been killed nearly twenty years ago crawled out of a hole in the wall we didn't know was there as a human teenager followed by two men that for some reason think Demetri is a prince and can be killed by a bullet. What could possibly be confusing about that?"

Marcus could only narrow his eyes before Aro started after the men. His curiosity over this was more than he could bare and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

They both knew the way to Demetri's rooms, but instead of going straight there, they followed their noses, taking the same path as the female they hadn't seen in eighteen years. Her path took them through more passageways that they had no idea existed and actually cut the trip to the fourth floor of the palace nearly in half.

When they emerged from the last one, they found themselves just around the corner from the double doors that blocked off the Elite's wing. They also stepped out right in front of Jane and Alec as they were on their way to their rooms.

Not expecting that, the twins both jumped back slightly in shock. The question of 'where the fuck did you come from' on the tips of their tongues, both were stilled when the familiar but lost scent gripped their noses. Pure confusion colored their faces as they looked at their masters, Jane being the one to get the question out. "How? She's dead."

Before the kings could say a word, there was a blood curdling scream and a gunshot, spurring all four into moving. When they rounded the corner, they saw who the kings recognized as the men from before feet from them and the human version of the dead vampiress curled into a ball in front of the doors that stood between her and the one the other vampires knew she was trying to reach.

Jane and Alec, not really thinking about what they were doing, pounced on the two men as the kings watched the human scramble to the wall, pull her foot back and kick it out, knocking out a chunk of the wall and crawling inside. A moment later there was a deep growl that had Jane diving for the doors, Alec taking over the restraint of her captive. Punching in the code that unlocked the doors, Jane shoved the door open, nearly expecting to see a very bloody mess when she did so. Instead, the four vampires in the hall saw a shell shocked tracker that looked like he was staring at a ghost standing in the halls and the half-conscious human on the floor at his feet.

Demetri, who was pulled out his room by the noise going on outside, stared at the human that had just slammed into him and knocking herself for a loop, his jaw lax and eyes slightly wide. It couldn't be. It was impossible.

But... it HAD to be.

Human or not, he could never mistake that scent. He moved to her side, crouching down next to her and, reaching a hand out towards her so slowly it was like he wasn't moving at all, he brushed her hair from her face. He then turned her head, his unneeded breath catching in his throat. He swallowed hard, speaking so softly it was as if he thought that any louder and she would vanish beneath his touch.

"Aria."


	2. Chapter 2

***chapter 2***

She winced and whimpered when she felt something hard pressing into the back of her skull, the pain sending a blinding effect over her eyes. Half dazed and head throbbing, Aria opened blurry eyes, looking around slightly before trying to focus on the face in front of hers. She had no idea what had happened and couldn't remember what she was doing or why she was where she was. Last she knew, she was in her bed but looking around again, that wasn't where she was any longer.

She could remember being terrified, but not of what and couldn't be sure if it was real or a dream. All her mind would supply was dark eyes and pure fear.

Groaning lightly in the face of the worst migraine she had ever gotten in her life, she lifted her eyes again, looking at the one that held her. The blur hadn't ebbed, but it didn't need to. She would know that face anywhere. Her fear once again kicked up as her mind flashed with dark eyes and she shifted her position, lurching forward to bury herself in the comfort and safety of familiar arms as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Demetri, still confused beyond words as to how his dead mate was a human and in his arms, blinked once but shutted that aside, pulling her close and holding her tightly to him. He had zero experience holding a human, so he really hoped that he wasn't actually hurting her when she was clearly looking for comfort. He then dipped his head, taking a nose full of her scent that clouded his mind as the warmth of her skin began to seep into his.

After a few moments, when she seemed to have calmed slightly, Demetri pulled back, looking down at Aria when a tender look, none of his earlier confusion showing. "Why do you cry?"

Not pulling back from him, Aria sniffled. "You're going to laugh at me."

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that was true. Humans and their emotions had always amused him, Demetri finding their sensitivities overly ridiculous and the females even more so because they took things far too close to heart. This human though, with his mate's face and scent, her emotions tore at him, his demon waking and shaking his cage, demanding he do something to make it better.

So, he nodded. "Maybe, but I cannot fix what I do not know is wrong."

Aria sniffled again, shaking her head. "I had a nightmare." It took every ounce of willpower the vampire possessed not to snort at the answer. However, before he could say a word to her, she continued. "Yes, I am making a fuss over a bad dream. No, I don't want to talk about it. No, I don't remember much of it. And no, I don't want any fucking tea."

Not a single thing she said answered any of the questions that were dancing in his mind. However, he doubted she would have the answers to those, so he just nodded. "Alright. What do you want, then?"

Finally, she pulled back a little and looked up at him, her green eyes still showing she wasn't all there, and she swallowed hard, her voice cautious. "I know I'm really not supposed to be here, but, can I stay with you for the rest of the night?"

Since he had absolutely no intentions of letting her out of his range of senses until he knew what the hell was going on, he nodded and helped her to her feet. "Of course. You go ahead. I'll be there in a moment."

Aria gave him a small smile and a quiet thank you before pulling away, waking the five feet to Demetri's room and disappearing inside. In her still slightly dazed and upset mindset, she never noticed the color of his eyes or the fact they were nothing like they should have been.

Demetri didn't get the chance to do much more than turn around before Aria' voice once again caressed his ears and sent a dagger into his heart. "Hey, Dem?'

The nickname made the tracker physically wince and he barely bit back a whimper. "Yes?" He turned and looked back to his doorway, seeing her poke her head out, face colored in confusion. However, before she could say anything else, she glanced to the double doors and gulped out an 'uh-oh'.

Turning to look where she was, Demetri cocked a brow at Jane because she was the only one of the four others present that could be seen from his door. Though his words were silent, they were crystal clear to Jane. 'What the fuck did you do?'

Jane looked into Demetri's eyes, ready to say just about anything when the human's soft and scared voice floated on the air. "Please, Jane. You didn't see me. I'm not here."

At the words, Demetri whipped around, a whimper clogging his throat. She couldn't leave, not again.

Jane, not knowing what to do, tripped over her tongue. What was she supposed to say? At the moment, her confusion was so overwhelming, all she could come up with agreeing to Aria' plea. She held her hands up and nodded. "Oh.. kay. I see nothing." Jane didn't even so much as twitch until the human seemed to relax slightly and nod before again vanishing into Demetri's chambers.

As soon as the human could no longer be seen, Jane hightailed it out of the hall and back to the safety of her brother's side.

*X*

Demetri watched after the human version of his mate until she vanished from his sights and then turned to look at two of his masters and the witch twins that stared back at him. He crossed his arms, a dark glare setting on his features and his eyes, that had been bright red while in the presence of the human, were now a deep onyx. A growl rumbled in his chest that came out in his voice. "So, someone want to tell me what the fuck is going on?"

The other four vampires looked at each other, none of them knowing what to say and for more than the reason they themselves didn't know. When his mate died, Demetri didn't do as Marcus did and seem to die within himself. He did the opposite. He became extremely volatile, the effect her death had on him turning him into nothing more than a blood thirsty monster.

Over the last near two decades, he had developed a tolerance to Jane's gift, hardly reacting to it anymore and he knew how to avoid Alec's, making the best lines of defense against a raging vampire all but useless. The fallback to them was Felix and not even he could stop Demetri when he got going. Felix might have been stronger than him by no small amount, but strength meant nothing when you couldn't actually get your hands on the one you were trying to stop. Demetri's inherent abilities made him extremely fast and as close to uncatchable as one could get.

On top of the trip-trigger temper, patience was something else Demetri lost so when he growled again, the other vampires present knew that was quickly running out.

When all eyes seemed to fall on him, Aro sighed and shook his head. "We don't know, Demetri. Her appearance is as confusing to us as it is to you."

This time Demetri didn't even attempt to stop the hard snort that came with the answer. "When someone you watched die randomly appears as a younger, _human_ , version of that dead person, then you can say that. Until then, I very much fucking doubt it."

Having to admit he had a point, Aro shrugged. "Regardless, we still do not an answer for you, Demetri." Then Aro tilted his head to the side, his mind working in hyperdrive to defuse the escalating storm that was building behind the tracker's eyes. "Does the answer really even matter? You have been given the chance to reclaim your mate, something that to my knowledge has never happened before. Is that not enough?"

The look on the tracker's face was enough to tell him that no, it wasn't even close. Then again, were it his own mate that seemingly came back from the dead, he had to admit he would want answers as to how as well. Coming to that conclusion, Aro once again sighed. "Everything lies within the human's mind."

At that, Demetri's teeth barred. "You think for a moment I am going to let you get anywhere near her? You and your wishes were the reason she died the first time."

Aro closed his eyes at the reminder but still spoke. "If you want to know what is going on, Demetri, it's the only way."

Eyes narrowing, Demetri looked over his shoulder, focusing on the heartbeat coming from his room. It was slow and steady, signaling that Aria had fallen asleep. Turning back to Aro, he growled low. "If you do anything, and I mean any fucking thing, that I don't like, no one will save you this time."

Aro balked but knew the treat was a very real one.

 ***xXx***

Demetri stood at the foot of his bed, hands resting on the footboard as he watched Aria sleep. The steady beating of her heart and scent lulled him into a sense of comfort he hadn't felt in such a long time. From the corner of his eye, he watched Aro's every move as he got closer to the side of his bed and in position to touch his human and find out how her presence was possible.

If he were honest, the longer he spent looking at her, basking in the scent of citrus and orchids, he was beginning to care less about the 'how this was possible'. As far as his demon was concerned, the reason was completely irrelevant and didn't matter in the slightest. All that did was that she was there and neither half of him had any plans of allowing that to change.

He had never known his mate as a human, their meeting occurring after they were both changed. He found himself curious and his mind began to ask all kinds of random questions about her. How did this human version compare to his vampire? Did she like the same things? Did she hate the color purple with every fiber of her being for reasons even she didn't know? Was she a little firecracker with a attitude?

From the small interaction in the hall, she did seem very different, for more than just the species. On top of that very obvious difference, she was physically younger by at least a couple of years. He guessed her to be about sixteen, maybe seventeen and his mate was nineteen when she was changed. Not once in their nearly seven centuries together had he thought of what she looked like as a human. However, he did have to admit that for a human, she was stunning.

Her facial features weren't quite as defined, but there was no denying who she was. Her face was a little rounder, cheeks fuller that hid her very defined cheekbones. Her lips lacked the color he was used to seeing that made them stand out, but they were just as full. In the place of glowing red eyes that were lined in black, she had vibrant green ones that had yellow and brown specks littered throughout.

Other than her eyes, the biggest difference about her physical appearance was a layer of fat on her stomach. She wasn't fat by any means. She was what would be considered perfectly healthy by human standards. You could see muscle definition, but you couldn't count ribs.

Other than that, she had the same perfect perky tits, same hair color, same height. Discounting what made her human, she was an exact replica of his mate. For every reason that was a comfort to him, it was just as much of a kick in the dick. She was very much human. He didn't know where she came from. He didn't know if she had a family that would miss her, search for her. He didn't know anything about her.

And that brought his attention back to Aro.

Seeing his master looking at him, Demetri sighed and nodded. "Go ahead. Let's do this before she wakes up." Turning to look at Aria, a small smirk appeared on his lips. "If she's anything like my Ari, things are not going to be pleasant when that happens."


	3. Chapter 3

***chapter 3***

 _In a sea of people, she never felt so alone. She couldn't get anyone's attention, no matter what she did. She was new to the city, but she knew what was happening today. Today was the day the prince returned from school and everyone was out, lining the streets, trying to catch a glimpse of the future ruler. That was all well and good, but damn... she didn't care about the future. Not at the moment, anyway. She cared about the here and now, but with that event happening, the city's police force, the Royal Guard, were all preoccupied in trying to keep the public at bay and the prince safe._

 _Looking around and seeing nothing and no one she could ask for help, she pivoted on point and ran back out of the Town Proper, hanging a left at the fork and heading towards the Palace itself. Sure, the guards would be sparse because of the gathering in the square, but there had to be SOMEone. Seriously, there had to be an emergency backup. Not everything had to revolve around one spoiled little bastard._

 _Sliding on a gravel pit, she righted herself, bared down, and put everything she had into her legs to run as fast as she could. Her chest was tight and throat burning, but she didn't stop as she cut blind corners and hurtled whatever debris was in her way._

 _When the looming structure came into view, she ran faster, gagging on her breath as she closed the last of the distance. When she broke the building line, she paused for a moment to catch her breath before darting across the street and through the open gates. She didn't stop running until she saw a couple of men at the trunk of a car, pulling out suitcases and other bags. She didn't know Italian very well, so she wasn't sure if she was pronouncing the words right when she called out._

" _AIUTO!"_

 _The sudden cry for help startled the guys enough to drop what was in their hands and whip around, blinking at the sight of the girl running full tilt towards them, one of them actually not able to hold his surprised statement of 'Che cazzo?' They glanced at each other before one of them stepped forward. He wasn't able to say anything, though, before she came to a sliding stop and panted out in broken Italian. "Per favore, ho bisogno di aiuto. Puoi venire?"_

 _Demetri scratched his head, trying to figure out exactly what she was saying, but it was said in such a way it was mostly gibberish to him. Walking towards her, he tried to keep his voice even, hoping that him being calm would aid her in settling enough to speak so he could understand her. She was a mess though, so he wasn't sure it would work all that well. "Devi calmarti. Io non posso fare niente se non riesco a capirti."_

 _Aria looked at him, panting hard as she tried to breathe. She didn't know what he just said and her fear and confusion began to rear up and take hold over the last shred of sanity she had. She tripped over her tongue as she tried to search her mind for the words she needed to say to explain, but not having a firm grasp of Italian, and being so worked up, she also didn't really have all that firm of a grasp of English either. Her sentence was screwed up and missing words as she tried her hardest, and finally Demetri simply held his hands up._

 _Though his voice was colored in a very heavy accent, the words were something she could understand. "Stella, settle down. I know English. Take a moment and a breath." He watched as she did as instructed, taking in deep lungfuls of air and when he thought she would be able to speak, asked. "Are you hurt?" When she shook her head, he nodded his. "Then who's blood?"_

 _Aria started, shaking as the vision inside her house rose up and showed itself to her, making her gag on another whimper. "My mom's. Please, help me."_

 _Demetri nodded and held out a hand. "Lead the way, Stella." Turning and jogging backwards, he called for Felix to come as well and yelled for Alec to fetch his father before turning back around and taking off in a full sprint to catch up with the American that didn't wait to be told twice._

 _*X*_

 _When the three reached the door to Aria's house, Felix jumped in front of the other two, holding out a hand and telling them to stay put while he looked around. Not liking the idea, but not given a choice when Demetri used his larger form to block her path inside, she told him her mother was in her room to the right of the living room. Felix nodded and went inside, while Demetri waited out on the stoop with her while his personal bodyguard checked and made sure whoever was responsible was really gone._

 _While it was just the two of them, Demetri looked down at the blood covered young lady, guessing her to be a couple of years younger than him at about fourteen or so. She was pretty short, and far too skinny in his opinion. Shutting that aside, he set a hand on her arm, drawing her attention to him. When he had it, he looked over his shoulder into the doorway a moment before looking back at her. "What happened here?"_

 _Aria shook her head, tears running down her cheeks, leaving a trail in the blood smear on her skin. "I don't know. I wasn't home. I was at school and when I came home, I found the door like that. I called for my mom but she didn't say anything. I went in and found her in her bedroom, bleeding and barely breathing. I tried to get a guard's attention, but with that stupid prince coming back today, none of them were around."_

 _At the term 'stupid prince' Demetri humped. He was anything but stupid. However, seeing as it was perfectly clear she wasn't from the city, let alone anywhere in Italy, she couldn't have known who she was talking to. He did however make a mental note to have a word with Caius and his lack of ensuring the citizens of the city had proper protection and aid no matter what else might be going on with he or his family._

 _Instead of telling her, he nodded once. "Do you have any idea who might have done this? Forgive me for being rude, but you can hardly speak a word of Italian, and what you can is barely understandable, so you cannot be from here, or even here long enough to piss someone off to this extent."_

 _Aria ran her hand down her face, smearing the stain of blood and adding more to it in the process. She didn't give it a second thought as she cast her eyes to the ground, her voice quiet and laced with terror. "My dad." She shook her head and sniffled before lifting her eyes back up to meet the now shocked ones of Demetri. "He's a mean, mean man. All the time, he's mean. A couple of years ago, mom and I ran while he was out of town doing God knows what with God knows who. He always found us, but we never stopped running. Mom did whatever she could to get enough money to get out of the country. She has a friend in Rome I've never met that helped, but neither of them thought it would be a good idea if we went there because my dad knows about him. This place was his idea because of the guard. He didn't think anyone would want to face off with them, so he helped us get settled here. We've only been here for a couple of weeks, I... I don't know how he found us already."_

 _Demetri stood there and listened, not interrupting. It wasn't because he didn't have any questions, but mostly because he didn't have anything to say. She didn't need to be interrogated right now, and she probably wouldn't know the answers anyways. It didn't matter anyway. By the time she was done, Felix had finished his sweep and was standing at the door, waiting to tell them it was clear. Boy, did the girl's face turn red when Felix called Demetri 'Your Highness'. Demetri just shrugged it off with a 'I've been called worse'._

 _Aria looked imploringly at Felix. "My mom?"_

 _The look on his face told her already, but he answered out loud for the benefit of it sinking in. "I am sorry, Bambina." When she screamed and tried to get passed the two men, it took both of them to keep her out of the house, Felix trying to explain it was a crime scene and she couldn't go in._

 _This is the scene that Alec, Aro, and a hand full of palace guards showed up to. They stood back and allowed Demetri and Felix deal with the hysterical young lady until she ran out of steam and her knees gave out. When that happened, Demetri scooped her up off the ground and carried her away from the door, nodding his head to tell the guards to have at it. As they were passing by him, he said. "Leave absolutely nothing unturned."_

 _The guards nodded before heading inside, leaving Demetri to now face his own father, who was looking at the sobbing, blood soaked young lady that was clinging to Demetri with pure concern on his face._

 _Stopping two feet away, Demetri looked at his father, his brow drawn and the inside of his cheek between his teeth. When he spoke, it was in his native tongue. "What do we do here, Father?"_

 _Aro looked at the girl a moment longer before sighing quietly. "For now, we take her home until what happened here is sorted out. We find out if she has any other family, and if she does, then we go about finding them and informing them of what happened."_

 _Making a noise in his throat, Demetri glanced over his shoulder before looking back at his father. "She believes her father was responsible for this. Are you telling me we are to hand her over to the man that killed her mother, or had her killed? She's an American minor, Father. If she's right about her's, surely there must be something we can do to keep her safe."_

 _Aro looked at his son with torn eyes. "There are laws, Demetri, you know that._

" _Yes, but..."_

 _Aro cut Demetri off. "For now, until what happened is found out and we know everything we must, she will stay with us. However, once this is sorted and if no wrongdoing is found, she will be turned over to her consulate and they will return her to her father. There is very little that can be done here, Demetri."_

 _Giving his father a challenging look. "And if it's found that her father is in fact responsible, then what?"_

 _All Aro could do was shrug. "We will cross that bridge only if we must."_

 _*X*_

"I am going to overlook all kinds of shit right now. Is there any time, place, whatever, that you actually like my mate?"

From the corner of his eye, Aro glared at the annoyed tracker. "Believe me or no, I didn't dislike her in this one. Aria was a very special vampire. It was her attitude that I never particularly cared for."

At that, Demetri chuckled and crossed his arms. "Funny. That's one of the things I loved best about her. Now, about this shit with you being my daddy."

Aro growled at the amusement in his voice. He didn't find any of this in the slightest bit funny. Instead of letting Demetri goad him, Aro simply shrugged. "Seems as though you are to always be a pain in my ass, Demetrious."

With a teeth flashing grin, Demetri lifted a shoulder before uncrossing his arms and setting his hands on the foot board he still stood behind. "Why change what seems to work so well?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was very early in the morning when Aria began to stir. Her eyes fluttered before they opened, taking in the dark room she was in. It took her a couple of minutes to recall how she ended up where she was, but when the feeling of terror came with it, she quickly shutted it aside and decided it didn't matter. What did, however, was getting back to her own room before she was discovered in the prince's bed.

She moved slowly at first, hoping to not make any noise so she didn't wake Demetri. Stopping to use the bathroom, she then tiptoed through the room, stopping when she saw his sleeping form on the couch. Pausing, she smiled before making the detour to his side., crouching down next to him and setting her hand on his, frowning at how cold his skin felt.

Looking at the dying fire, Aria hummed before standing and going back over to the bed, pulling the comforter from it before taking it over to her prince. Flinging it over his body, she spread it out and again crouched by his side.

Demetri, who was doing his best to pretend to sleep, choked back a whimper when he felt Aria's lips press to this corner of his, so much like his mate used to. It was her way of driving him up a wall when she was feeling coy, but it was when she whispered 'Till next time, D'tri' that his heart all but shattered in his chest. Those were the last words his mate ever said to him.

He couldn't keep up the facade any longer when she pulled away, clearly making ready to leave his room. Before she was a even fully standing, he hand shot out from under the blanket, lightly encircling her wrist to keep from doing so. Opening his eyes, he looked into her confused hazel eyes, an imploring look in his. "Don't leave."

Aria smiled at him. "I have to. You know what'll happen if I get caught in here."

Against his wishes, Demetri fell into old habits, giving her the same look he used to give his mate in order to get his way. To his gut wrenched surprise, her face melted into the same one he had gotten in return for seven hundred years. It was a cross between indulgence and annoyance. Still, when she sighed and moved the cover so she had a place to lie down, the vampire was able to swallow the stab of overwhelming agony.

Shifting his position to make room for her, Demetri wrapped her in his arms when she was settled, curled into his chest. Aria though, was overcome with a feeling of remorse when she felt how cold he was after sleeping for however long without something to cover him up. The palace was pretty old and didn't have any kind of electric heat, all of it coming from the fireplace in the room. So, she scooted closer, hoping to help warm him up with her own body heat.

With his human tight to his chest, Demetri buried his nose in her hair, taking in as deep a nose full of her scent as he possibly could. Again, his actions were not his own when his fingers slid into her hair and his nail began to scratch at her scalp.

Time seemed to stand still when Aria moaned softly at the feel, Demetri being transported back to the last time he was with his mate like this. She loved when he played with her hair, letting it lull her into a nearly sleep like trance. It was nearly an exact match to the moment he was reliving in his mind, with the addition of a heartbeat.

Time caught back up to itself when Aria whispered. "I miss you."

So caught off guard by the statement, Demetri wasn't fully able to silence the gasp, but he hoped it was at least quiet enough she didn't hear him. Swallowing the lump the simple statement caused in his throat, he responded. "I haven't gone anywhere."

Aria opened her eyes with a small smile and sigh. "You know what I mean, Demetri. It's not like it was, and it will never be like that again."

Pulling his head out of her hair, Demetri glanced down, looking at the pulse point on her neck. "It could be."

Pressing her face into his shirt, Aria shook her head. "You father would never allow it."

Humming in his throat, "Is that all that's stopping you from trying?" When she shrugged, Demetri tightened his grip on her hair, pulling it lightly and forcing her to look up at him. Though it was too dark in the room for her to see his eyes, he could see her perfectly, and there was a shine of tears making the greens and yellows dance.

He couldn't have fought against himself if he wanted to. Though his movement was slow, more for her to pull away if she chose than for anything else, he lightly pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't anything special to anyone else, but when she seemed to melt against him, it was more than he could have hoped for. He pulled back after a moment to gauge her reaction and, when she bit her lip, he again dipped his head, capturing her lips and this time, it was much more forceful.

She responded in kind, her hands moving from his chest to around his neck, pulling herself closer to him as he deepened their kiss.

When her familiar flavor exploded on his tongue, a purr kicked up in his chest. With expert moves, Demetri was standing, his human in his arms, their kiss never broken.

Aria was like a woman possessed. It had been far too long since she was able to be in Demetri's arms like this. For months they kept their relationship a secret, knowing it wouldn't go over well, a thought proven right when the asshole that was Demetri's father found out. He had forbade them from ever being alone together again, the consequences of doing so being prison for her and disownment for him. For six months they were together, and for the sex all they could do was steal glances and wait for the time when they would both be away from Aro and his iron fist. She drank in every ounce of attention bestowed on her, all the while craving even more.

Demetri, ever cautious of his weight and strength, tossed Aria on his bed and pulled his shirt off before dropping to hover over her, again taking possession of her lips. He held himself up with on hand as his nimble fingers of the other undid the buttons of her shirt, sliding his fingertips across her smooth skin when he was done. When she broke their kiss at the feel of his skin touching her's, Demetri moved his attention to her neck, latching his lips to the pulsing vein it took everything he had not to sink his teeth into. When he rolled his hips against her's, she gasped, her head going back and turning to the side, causing a small growl to rumble Demetri's chest at the sign of full submission.

Panting and all but trembling under his actions, Aria choked out. "What about your dad?"

Pulling away from her neck, Demetri slid his hand down her side and over her hip, grabbing the back of her thigh and hoisting it over his own hip. Looking her dead in the eyes, he said the first thing that came to mind. "Fuck 'im."

It was like that was all that was needed to end whatever doubts Aria had about allowing this to happen. Demetri watched the indecision leave her eyes and be replaced with pure lust and want. She was holding back because of him and once her fears were put to rest, she nearly became someone completely new. She grabbed his neck and jerked him back to her, crushing their lips together with all the force she could find.

He matched and raised what she gave, still ensuring he wasn't getting too rough. She was something he wasn't used to. She was currently breakable and he refused to be responsible for harming her.

She released his neck and slid her hot little fingers down, down, down until she reached his belt. It became clear this wasn't her first time at that moment. It couldn't be with as daftly as she was able to get his pants undone and using her feet to push them down his legs.

Demetri never broke their lips when he shifted to finish the job of removing his slacks or when he devastated her of her own. If he were a better person, he might have taken a moment to consider what he was about to do. Yes, she was as willing a partner as there ever was, but she thought he was a completely different species. He also might have thought about what this would do if she ever found out he wasn't exactly who she thought. However, he wasn't that better person, and when she arched her back and moaned aloud when his lips against found her skin, he certainly never would be.

There were two truths that rang in his mind as he listened to the noises she tried so hard to keep quiet. The biggest was, she was his first. The other, and he didn't get two shit who it was, no one that would allow someone to forbid a man from being with his girl deserved her. He had decided, even before that moment, he didn't care where she came from, or how she came to be there now. He also had no plans of allowing her to return. She was his again, as she was always meant to be.

That was all that mattered.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Deep ocean blue eyes roamed the darker than normal hall. He knew Aria was infamous for using the passages within the walls to maneuver through the palace, so when he found the holes in the walls of her bedroom, that was the first place he looked. They were twisted and confusing, and if you took a wrong turn, you could end up pretty much anywhere, and normally somewhere you didn't want to be.

Hearing the very familiar laugh, Demetri smiled and turned the direction it came from. He had expected to find her conversing with one of the staff, but he was not expecting to see her looking up at a man with his back to him with stars in her eyes. All he could see from his vantage point was shaggy brown hair and the pale skin of his neck, the rest hidden by what looked like a floor length black cape.

All thought left his mind; the reason he was searching for Aria skipping out on him at the look on her face. After the events of the evening prior, he had thought she ran from the city, yet she never left. When she was in trouble, she ran to someone else. He couldn't hold that against her.

He also would have simply walked away had she not laughed again, his own name slipping from her lips. Snapping back around, his lips parted, he called out to her. "Aria?"

Still smiling with amusement in her eyes, she turned at the sound her name only to freeze in her place at the sight of Demetri standing at the mouth of an adjacent hallway. She blinked, her mouth going dry as she continued to stare. It took her a moment for her mouth to catch up with her mind, and she squeaked out, "Demetri?" Looking back and forth between the Demetri right in front of her and the one ten feet away, she took a step back in pure confusion.

The vampire, being so consumed with his human, failed to notice the approach of another one. Eyes narrowing, he turned only his head to look over his shoulder, not overly surprised to see his own face, though slightly younger and human, looking back at him in abject horror.

The same could not be said for either human.

Aria continued to move away from him while the human Demetri took a step forward, his face hard and voice commanding. "Get away from her." He then held a hand out to the very confused young lady. "Aria, come here."

The vampire growled low in his chest at the tone his human counterpart dared to use when speaking to his female. Pushing himself off the railing of the balcony he was leaning on, he stood to his full height, locking his eyes on the human prince. "Why? I've never hurt her. Can you say the same?"

Aria watched the pissing contest between the two men with the same face, giving the one she had spent the morning with a wide berth, but not getting too close to the other one either. She had no idea what was going on, and really didn't want to. She wanted to go back five minutes and have everything normal again, but with the way the conversation between the two Demetris was escalating, that probably wasn't gonna happen. It was when the newer one to the party lifted his hand and showed the ring on his right pinky, she let out a breath and slowly started to inch towards him.

Drawn from his office by the zap to his senses, Marcus walked out into the hall, following the conflicting ties and running smack into a war of words. He stood, just as perplexed as Aira, at the two version of the same man; one a vampire refusing to lose his love for a second time, the other a human willing to die to protect his own.

It was when the tracker went from words to actions Marcus' feet spurred him into moving. He shot from his spot, not keeping humans in mind when he vanished before their eyes, appearing between the vampire Demetri and the human one with his hands held up, palms out, and ready to take the tracker off his feet should he have the need.

With one of his masters blocking his way, the vampire redirected his focus, and taking it off both present humans. However, that gave the prince the time needed to focus on Aria, and knowing her as he did, he was quick to lunge towards her, dropping to his knees and sliding across the floor just in time to catch her before she hit the floor.

The tracker, seeing his human in the arms of someone else, finished the job of setting off his legendary temper. He snarled and made to attack, but again found Marcus between him and them.

Marcus remained as calm as he could in the face of the demon within the vampire, speaking slowly but with force. "She is not your mate, Demetri. Your Aria is dead. She died two decades ago. She is his, now. Look beyond the rage and despair. Look beyond the surface and see what is right in front of you. You love who she was. He loves who she is."

He tried to do as he was told, but all he could see was his mate in the arms of someone else. It didn't matter he was him from another plane of existence. It didn't matter, not to the Tacker. Looking at his master. "What can he truly give her? Sixty, maybe seventy years, if that? I can give her eternity."

The ever patient Marcus nodded slow to show him he heard, but was ready with a rebuttal. "And if she doesn't want it, then what? You'll never force her, so what will she get then? Someone for now but will eventually appear to have mothered, then grandmothered. Take the gift you were given, that small second dose of the one you love and cherish it because, My Boy, she doesn't belong here. She belongs with him in their own world, Demetrius. I am sorry, but if you truly love her, you must let her be where she is supposed to be."

The human prince looked down at the peaceful face of the woman in his arms, listening to the back and forth between his vampire version and the one that looked one of his father's personal guards, his throat tightening as the words settled in his mind. Finally, when he could take no more, he quietly cleared his throat and interrupted. "You're right."

All eyes on him, the human Demetri lifted his eyes and looked at Marcus. "You're absolutely right. When Aria went missing, I had thought it was for another reason entirely. Two nights ago, my father announced my engagement to someone else; a noble from another part of the country. I've never even heard of her before. I had thought Aria heard and left, not been here, wherever here is. I went to check on her, to see if she was alright, expecting to be accosted over that turn of events.

"All her things were still in their place, like they always were. Everything looked as it always did, except the two bullet holes in the wall. I blamed my father, telling him had he set station aside and allowed her to be treated as any other that stayed as a visitor it wouldn't have happened. She would have been protected from those that never gave up looking for her to finish what they started the day we met." A new voice entered the conversation, prompting the human prince to behold this realms version of his father. All he could do was snort at the question presented.

'Did he truly dislike her so much?'

The prince shrugged. "He was fine with her until my mother died, but that was probably more because my mother adored her, from the moment they met. Father wanted to hand Aria over to her murderer of a father, and my mother would have none of it. She was set to stay with us until she left for University. That was when we would finally be together. Three weeks, that was all. Three weeks. But, since the announcement, that can never happen and I love her too much to put her through seeing what's going to happen."

Marcus looked at the human Demetri and frowned. "Is there no way?"

Locking his blue eyes on the red of the minor ruler, he snorted softly. "Of course. Advocation, but I can't put that on Aria's shoulders. Both myself and my father are only children. I have no siblings or cousins to take my place, and someone has to stand before the masses as the leader of the country. I've said many times I didn't care. She does. It's my job, and she refused to allow me to walk away from that."

Shifting his position, he scooped Aria into his arms and stood, looking at his vampire doppleganger. Blue clashed with red, nether backing down and both refusing to be the first to look away. A very reminiscent of the vampire smirk pulled at the prince's lips as he moved to close the distance between them. "Do you have any idea how she knew I was me, and you were not?"

Taking his passed out human in his arms, Demetri looked at the human and shook his head, watching as the prince pulled a ring off his right pinky finger and held it up for him to see.

"It was her mother's. You found it in the garden, past the stone fountain, beyond the roses, under a bench positioned between two statues. Do you know the one?" At the vampire's nod, the human slipped the ring on the matching stone finger. "She told you to keep it. You said you couldn't. She said you had to. She lost it, you found it, therefore you are a better protector. You never take it off, not for any reason. After three years, it has become a token, a promise. Do you understand?"

Again, the vampire nodded, causing the prince to smile before looking back at the only person to ever love him for him and not his crown before taking a step back with a morose chuckle. "Protect her." Looking back at the vampire. "Trust me, she needs it."


	6. Chapter 6

***Epilogue***

Two years later, and six months out of Aria's newborn year, the same throne room in two separate planes, was transformed. The thrones were removed from the dais, replaced with ornate candlesticks. It was standing room only as hundreds of people flooded the space, human and vampire respectively.

In the same room, in both places, both Demetris dressed in crisp white shirts, red vests, and midnight black slacks and blazers. Standing before the mirror as they fixed their ties, both had the exact same reflection looking back at them, the human prince now the same age as the vampire when he became the undead.

As for the ladies they were set to wed, they couldn't have been more different. Aria was dressed in black and red whereas the soon to be Princess Sophie was donned head to toe in pure white. Not only could the two look any less alike, they couldn't act anymore different if they actively tried.

Aria, in all her splendor, took to the events of two years ago with all the grace she was capable. She ripped her vampire a new asshole, much to his amusement. However, he stood there and let her have at it, knowing she had more right than anyone to call him literally everything under the sun, and even make up others when she ran out of known vocabulary. When she was done she had stormed off, refusing to even so much as look at him for over a month. That ended when someone finally sat down with her and explained everything to her, starting with the loss of Demetri's mate and stopping when they reached the night she came face to face with her personal hell.

She sought him out then, after finding out she was not kept there against her will, but that she was left behind in order to be who she really wanted. She never apologized, though, just asked him how she measured up to who he had once known. He had smiled at her and told her ask again in seven hundred years, something she had every intention of doing.

Sophie, on the other hand, was prim and proper, everything a princess should be. Over the two year engagement, the prince had grown quite fond of her, though that didn't stop him from thinking of his first love every now and then.

When he did, it was like the Tracker could feel it. He had even once asked Felix to look into how it was possible for what happened to have occurred. All he was able to find, however, was one passage in a very old book he found buried in the back of a shelf in the library.

'There are unseen worlds all around us, intertwined through places or things. With the right combination of out of control emotion and pure desire, it could, perhaps, be possible to cross between them, leaving behind a one use way to return to whence you came. Beware: once you leave, you can never return to that world once the passage is closed'.

The tracker had figured it was Aria's overwhelming fear of her attackers and the desire for protection that led her to him, he and his kind able to protect her in ways the humans could not. The door was left open since she had not gone back through, and it was closed when his human counterpart returned to his own realm.

In the end, it mattered very little. As he stood across from his mate, and moments from being his wife as well, The tracker honestly couldn't give a fuck less about how it happened. All that mattered was that it did.

When the signal was given, Demetri dipped his head, capturing Aria's lips with his own, sealing the promise made so many years ago with a searing kiss, the ring the human prince gave him hanging from a chain around the tracker's neck.

If you were lucky enough to be standing in just the right spot, and caught the light perfectly, you would see tan skin overlapping the vampire's alabaster tone. If you could see it, you would know, it was the human prince Demetri kissing his first and only love, goodbye.


End file.
